Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for remotely producing a talking article having an audio message circuit storing one or more audio messages at a second location remote from a first location, wherein one or more switches and a speaker are provided with the article for playback of the one or more audio messages through the speaker, the method comprising: generating electrical representations corresponding to the one or more audio messages at the first location; transmitting the electrical representations over a transmission medium, wherein the electrical representations generated at the first location are transmitted to the second location remote from the first location; receiving the electrical representations at the second location; and storing the electrical representations of the one or more audio messages in the audio message circuit in the article at the second location, wherein the one or more audio messages are played back through the speaker by activation of one of the one or more switches.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into or stored in the audio message circuit in digital or analog form.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more audio message is/are input into the audio message circuit via a microphone or input port.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a recorded voice message of a user.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the article is delivered to a recipient of the article at a third location remote from the first location, wherein the recipient plays back the recorded voice message of the user, originally generated at the first location, at the location remote from the first location.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more touch sensitive switches.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise capacitive or membrane type switches.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise switches that are unnoticeable to a user.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more switches comprise at least two switches.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more audio messages comprise at least two audio messages.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to activation of a second switch.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise a light activated switch.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a predetermined audio message is played back in response to activation of the light activated switch.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein the predetermined audio message is played back in response to the activation of the light activated switch.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein he first audio message and the predetermined audio message comprise different audio messages.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmission medium comprises a telephone line or a data line or satellite link.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received using digital or analog transmit or receive devices.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the article including the stored one or more audio messages is delivered to a predetermined user at a location remote from the first location.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a commemorative message.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the article comprises a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a commemorative object including at least the sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object and the audio message circuit storing at least the commemorative message is produced and delivered at a location remote from the fist location.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio message circuit comprises a memory or an analog storage device.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a picture display device displaying one or more pictures.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the picture display device is substantially in the form of a geometric shape.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the picture display device displays a plurality of pictures.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein an audio message is associated with each of the plurality of displayed pictures.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the picture display device includes at least one face that includes a clock element.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein one or more audio messages are played back in response to a signal from the clock element.
Unknown
May 21, 2002
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